Fast start spray iron

ABSTRACT

The invention discloses a steam and power spray iron wherein generated steam pressure is used to power the spray assembly. The invention is directed to an improvement in the spray assembly that provides a continuous steam tube directly connected at one end to the spray assembly and extending down into close proximity to the steam generator at the other end whereby, as soon as steam is generated, it is ducted directly and immediately to the spray assembly to provide steam power therefor without significant heat losses.

[451 Sept. 18, 1973 United States Patent [1 1 Davidson FAST START SPRAY IRON Inventor: William liavidson, O ntarioIC aIif. Pnmary Emmmer pamck Lawson g V V g Attorney-Lawrence R. Kempton et a1. Assignee: General Electric Company,

[57] ABSTRACT The invention discloses a steam and power spra Bridgeport, Conn.

Mart 27, 1552 Appl. No.: 238,456

22 Filed:

y iron wherein generated steam pressure is used to power the spray assembly. The invention is directed to an im- US. Cl.

[52 38/77 5 provement in the spray assembly that provides a con- [51] Int Cl 6 ,6 tinuous steam tube directly connected at one end to the 5 Fieid 77 83 77 9 spray assembly and extending down into close proximity to the steam generator at the other end whereby, as soon as steam is generated, it is ducted directly and im- References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS mediately to the spray assembly to provide steam power therefor without significant heat losses.

38/775 6 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure 3,224,122 Jepsan et al.

3,188,758 6/1965 Denton 3,407,522 10/1968 Jepson et al.. 3,497,974 3/1970 Davidson FAST START SPRAY mos BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The invention herein pertains to a steam and power spray iron wherein steam is used to power the spray and is directed to an improved spray assembly providing for immediate access of generated steam to the spray assembly for a fast start spray iron.

2. Description of the Prior Art With the advent of irons using water for either steam or spray purposes or both, it is customary to provide a water tank in the iron abovethe soleplate and use water valve structure for metered drippage of water into a steam generator where it is evaporated and flashed into steam and directed out ports in the soleplate to steam the article. Additionally, powered spray attachments have been added to the irons wherein the steam is contained in the iron under pressure and used to provide energy to power the spray. This permits the user to hold the button down and obtain a continuous spray, as opposed to the manual spray requiring a pump action for a spurt of spray. In power spray irons of this type, a balance tube communicates pressure from the steam generator to the surface of the water tank to provide a balanced pressure to ensure flow. The steam also rises in the riser tube extending off the forward end of the water tank and then flows into the nozzle assembly where it is used to provide a continuous powered spray. Such a construction is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,041,757 of common assignment and in U.S. Pat. No. 3,497,974 that relates to anti-fouling sprayer structure to prevent clogging. The iron in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,497,974 patent directs the generated steam closer to the nozzle assembly by bringing it higher into riser tube 22 but still requires chamber 44 to be filled before steam pressure is available to operate the spray assembly. Thus, the prior art constructions have all required a chamber or volume wherein steam pressure must build up before it is available to the nozzle assembly to operate the power spray. This requires a delay while pressure is building up and a design is needed where, immediately upon generation, steam becomes available to operate the nozzle for a fast start spray.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Briefly described, the present invention is directed to a steam and spray iron of the power type where steam is used to power the spray. The iron has the usual water reservoir and steam generator connected to receive water from the reservoir through a metering valve to provide flash steam and direct it to the ironing surface and to the reservoir surface by a balance tube to pressurize the sealed reservoir. In this general combination, the invention adds an improvement in the steampowered spray assembly that has a spray nozzle on the iron with a water tube connecting to the reservoir and terminating in a spray aperture in the nozzle assembly. A continuous steam tube is connected directly to the spray assembly at one end to connect the spray aperture with the steam generator at the other end. The continuous tube may be connected through the conventional steam dome over the generator. The balance tube between the generator and reservoir may be used to carry the continuous tube and the dimensions of the tube may be smaller than the balance tube to provide an annular space between the tubes so that internally flowing steam in the continuous tube is conducted immediately and directly to the nozzle assembly while, at the same time, other generated steam flows externally of the continuous tube into the water tank thereby insulating the internal steam flow and preventing its condensation before it reaches the nozzle assembly. Thus, the main object of the invention is to provide an iron with an improved steam-powered spray assembly that ensures a faster start spray iron than heretofore available.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The single FIGURE is a partial cross sectional and broken view of a typical steam and spray iron showing the application of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the FIGURE, there is shown an electric spray-steam iron that includes a steam-powered spray attachment or nozzle assembly. The iron includes a soleplate 10 having a plurality of steam ports 12 and outer shell 14 connected in any suitable manner to handle 16 all in known fashion. In accordance with conventional practice, soleplate 10 may be made from a suitable material such as cast aluminum with an electrical heating element 18 cast in position. This heating element preferably is of the sheath type and, with the electrical resistance element, extends through an outer tubular protective sheath with the heating element separated from the outer sheath by an insulating compound resistant to heat such as granulated and compressed magnesium oxide. The heating element generally extends in a loop beginning at the rear of the iron and along one side to the forward end and then rearwardly along the other side. Thus, substantially uniform heat distribution is provided when the iron is plugged in and activated.

The iron includes means for generating steam by providing water tank 20 with vertical outer riser tube means 22 in the forward portion for housing various operating mechanisms. Outer tube means 22 generally is cylindrical but may be any suitable shape. For steam, soleplate 10 has a steam generator cavity or boiler 24 into which water is drippe'd under control of metering valve structure generally indicated at 26 and including a button 28 and connected spring-biased vertical stem 30. The water dripped through orifice 32 from tank 20 onto the heated soleplate flashes into steam which is distributed through passages 34, under cover 36 and out ports 12 to the ironing surface. A steam-powered spray assembly 38 with a conventional orifice may be operated by control button 40. A typical power spray is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,041,757 supra and the nozzle assembly is shown in FIG. 6 therein. Temperature control 42 operates to thermostatically control the heat generated in the soleplate in a known manner. In order to supply water to tank 20 for steam and/or spray power, fill opening44 is provided with direct communication to the tank through an annulus 46 and through liquid fill valve means 48 to the interior of water tank 20. Thus, when button 28 is in the up or steam position as shown, water drips into generator 24 and the water tank becomes pressurized by the generated steam since it is sealed from atmosphere by seating of liquid fill valve 48. In order for the water in sealed tank 20 to be able to drip into generator 24 it is necessary to equalize steam pressure in generator 24 and tank 20. To this end, it is customary to provide a pressure balancing tube 50 that is open at its upper end to the upper portion of tank 20 and open at its bottom end to generator 24 as shown. Thus, steam pressure is equalized on both sides of water valve 26 so that water will drip for steam generation. For controlling steam pressure before entering passages 34 to be sure that only steam is carried into ports 12, a steam pressure valve, generally indicated at 54 and of known construction, is provided at the lower end of a separate tube means adjacent balance tube 50. Thus, as steam pressure builds, valve 54 opens at a predetermined pressure to admit steam into the distribution passages 34 and maintain a given steam pressure within the system. For collecting the steam and directing or distributing it, it is customary to provide a steam dome 52 substantially over or adjacent the steam generator 24.

In such a pressure spray iron, there is steam pressure in riser tube 22 available as an energy source to continuously power spray assembly 38. Generally, the spray assembly consists of the spray nozzle with a water tube 56 connecting with the bottom of the reservoir and ending internally of the nozzle assembly at a spray aperture 58. Similarly, steam is provided to the nozzle assembly on one side of the water tube and connecting with the other side of the spray aperture at 60. This pressurized steam, flowing through aperture 60 at high velocity, flows across water tube 56 through the aligned aperture 58-60. By a modified aspiration effect, water is drawn upwardly through water tube 56 and upon striking the high velocity steam, it is atomized and sprayed outwardly in a finely divided spray as disclosed in the US. Pat. No. 3,041,757 above. It is recognized that the specific aperture structure 58 and 60 shown may be replaced by other equivalent spray mechanisms which retain the aspirating effect and these are contemplated by the term apertures as used in the claims.

Generally, the steam available to spray nozzle 38 enters the spray assembly directly from the upper chamber formed by riser tube 22 so that it is necessary for steam pressure to build up before the spray assembly can be used. This may take two to 3 minutes before getting a heavy misty spray. This is true even when the steam is emptied into the upper portion of riser tube 22 fairly close to the spray assembly as shown in said U.S. Pat. No. 3,497,974. There is still the time lag for the pressure build-up before the spray is operative.

In accordance with the invention, it has been found that a very rapid and fast spray is obtainable by, in effect, putting the steam generator right at the nozzle assembly. This is achieved by connecting the equivalent of a continuous steam tube 62 directly to spray assembly 38 at one end and exposing the other end to steam as soon as it is generated effectively putting spray assembly 38 in a direct line right at generator 24 for immediate steam use as far as the spray is concerned and before any pressure build-up takes place. The actual structure may vary but, because balance tube 50 is present and secured at one end to dome 52, I use it. By extending steam tube 62 up to, within, or through the balance tube as shown, the spray assembly is effectively directly exposed to immediate steam generation. A preferred form is to make tube 62 of smaller cross section than the balance tube so the tubes are spaced from one another by an annulus around tube 62 whereby steam flows both internally of continuous tube 62 and externally through balance tube 50. This concentric flow arrangement requires no additional structure to ensure a further benefit of the same temperature existing on both sides of tube 62 so that no condensation occurs on tube 62. Thus, steam generated enters the tube and is immediately and promptly delivered to the spray assembly 38 to power it well before the normal pressure build-up.

Thus, the expedient of connecting steam tube 62 directly to the spray assembly and effectively extending it into the steam generating chamber as well as extending it through the balance tube provides for substantially immediate pressure available for power spraying as soon as steam is generated and avoids appreciable lags due to pressure build-up heretofore required. Consequently, the spray is very fast starting and available immediately upon steam generation.

While there has been described a preferred form of the invention, obvious equivalent variations are possible in light of the above teachings. [t is therefore to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practised, otherwise than as specifically described, and the claims are intended to cover such equivalent variations.

I claim:

1. In a steam and spray iron having a closed water reservoir and a single steam generator connected to receive water from said reservoir through a metering valve and direct steam to both the ironing surface and to the reservoir to pressurize said reservoir, the improvement in a continuous steam-powered spray assembly comprising,

a spray nozzle on said iron having a water tube connecting with said reservoir and terminating in a spray aperture in said assembly, and

a steam tube directly connecting the spray aperture and steam generator through said water reservoir.

2. Apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein said steam tube is continuous and connected at one end to said generator and at the other end directly to said spray assembly.

3. Apparatus as described in claim 2 wherein a steam dome is disposed over said generator to collect and dis tribute the steam and said continuous steam tube is connected through said dome to said generator.

4. Apparatus as described in claim 3 wherein a balance tube is secured at one end to said steam dome to direct steam to the reservoir and said continuous tube extends within said balance tube.

5. Apparatus as described in claim 4 wherein said continuous tube extends through said balance tube into said generator.

6. Apparatus as described in claim 4 wherein said continuous tube is smaller in cross section than said balance tube and spaced therefrom to permit steam flow from said generator both internally and externally of said continuous tube.

I t t l 

1. In a steam and spray iron having a closed water reservoir and a single steam generator connected to receive water from said reservoir through a metering valve and direct steam to both the ironing surface and to the reservoir to pressurize said reservoir, the improvement in a continuous steam-powered spray assembly comprising, a spray nozzle on said iron having a water tube connecting with said reservoir and terminating in a spray aperture in said assembly, and a steam tube directly connecting the spray aperture and steam generator through said water reservoir.
 2. Apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein said steam tube is continuous and connected at one end to said generator and at the other end directly to said spray assembly.
 3. Apparatus as described in claim 2 wherein a steam dome is disposed over said generator to collect and distribute the steam and said continuous steam tube is connected through said dome to said generator.
 4. Apparatus as described in claim 3 wherein a balance tube is secured at one end to said steam dome to direct steam to the reservoir and said continuous tube extends within said balance tube.
 5. Apparatus as described in claim 4 wherein said continuous tube extends through said balance tube into said generator.
 6. Apparatus as described in claim 4 wherein said continuous tube is smaller in cross section than said balance tube and spaced therefrom to permit steam flow from said generator both internally and externally of said continuous tube. 